APPALACHIAN STATE 9-0, THE CITADEL 7-17
BOONE, N.C. ? Appalachian State University baseball split a Southern Conference doubleheader with The Citadel on Friday, winning the opener, 9-7, and falling in the nightcap, 17-0, at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Due to a forecast of heavy rain in the High Country this weekend, Appalachian and The Citadel played the first two games of their three- game SoCon series on Friday. In an effort to complete the set before the rain moves in, Saturday’s series finale has been moved up to noon, an hour earlier than the originally scheduled 1 p.m. first pitch.
Friday’s first contest was a back-and-forth affair which featured three ties and four lead changes, capped by RBI singles from Appalachian’s Andrew Franco (Niceville, Fla./Niceville) and Tom Prosser (Etowah, Tenn./McMinn Central) in the bottom of the eighth that broke a 7-7 tie and secured the ASU victory.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 3-0 lead after just three innings, but The Citadel rebounded to knot the game at 3-3 with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth, setting up a wild finish.
ASU took a 4-3 advantage in the bottom of the sixth when Chris Baker (Clarkton, N.C./East Columbus) tripled to left center field and scored on Nick DeRose’s (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds) RBI single to right.
The Bulldogs took their first lead of the game with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, but the Apps responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to regain the upper hand.
Franco’s second home run in as many games at Smith Stadium and Baker’s two-out, two-run single to left gave the Mountaineers a 7-5 lead.
The Citadel managed to tie the game once again in the top of the eighth when it reached ASU closer Garrett Sherrill (Kannapolis, N.C./A.L. Brown) for a pair of two-out runs. However, Franco’s and Prosser’s run-scoring singles in the eighth gave ASU a 9-7 lead and Sherrill nailed down the victory with two strikeouts in the ninth.
Franco led the Mountaineers’ 17-hit attack with his 3-for-4, three-RBI performance. Jason Altenhof (Santa Fe, Fla./Santa Fe) and Jason Rook (Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford) also registered three hits each for the Apps. Despite the blown save, Sherrill collected the win and moved to 7-3 on the season.
The Citadel scored early and often in the nightcap to earn the split.
The Bulldogs put runs on the scoreboard in six of the game’s nine innings, including two in the fourth, two in the fifth, three in the sixth, five in the seventh and four in the eighth. Zach Brown homered twice and Richard Jones added a grand slam and six RBI to lead the 17- run outburst.
With the split, Appalachian (21-15, 8-6 SoCon) remains in fourth place in the SoCon standings and The Citadel (21-13, 5-6 SoCon) moved within a half-game of UNC Greensboro for fifth place.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 19, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 6
STATESBORO, GA. ? The 27th-ranked College of Charleston broke a 1-all tie by scoring 12 runs in the third inning as Georgia Southern dropped a 19-6 Southern Conference decision Friday night (April 13). The Eagles fell to 19-19 overall and 2-8 in the league.
The Cougars scored a run in the first inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly from Chris Campbell. Michael Harrington lined a double during the next at-bat. He tried scoring on Ben Lasater’s single to right field, but Mike Economos (Atlanta/Marist) came up throwing and nailed him at the plate.
Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) drilled his fourth home run of the season, an opposite field shot with two outs in the second, tying the score at 1-all.
However, Charleston (26-8, 9-1) exploded for 12 runs on 11 hits in the top of the third, both of those numbers tying a school record. The Cougars hit two home runs, 3-run shots from Gabe Marchant and Lasater, and batted around twice.
A.J. Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) and Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) singled to start the fourth. A groundout advanced both runners and Economos brought home Wirnsberger on a groundout, making it 13-2.
The Cougars scored two more times off Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill) during the fifth. Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) got one run back when he hit his team-leading seventh home run during the fifth inning.
Oliver Marmol set a Cougar record in the ninth with his sixth hit in the game, a 2-run homer. Pinch-hitter Will Southwell (Moultire/Colquitt County) hit a RBI single in the ninth. Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock) brought home two runs on a single to left for the final margin.
Brian Wilkerson (Bonaire/Houston County) lasted just two innings, his shortest outing of the year, allowing seven runs on nine hits. He fell to 4-6 this season, losing his fifth straight. Burt Barto (Columbus/Columbus) gave up six runs on five hits during the third inning. Nation struck out a career-high four batters. Josh Lairsey (Waycross/Ware County) fanned four in four innings of relief.
Miller had three of the Eagles nine hits. Parker scored twice, matching a personal-high.
Marmol finished 6-for-7 with four runs scored and three RBI. Campbell, Lasater and Marchant had four RBI apiece. Nick Chigges improved to 6-0, allowing three runs on six hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out nine.
WOFFORD 14, DAVIDSON 13
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Shane Kirkley mashed a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to power Wofford to a 14-13 comeback win over Davidson Friday evening at Russell C. King Field.
Kirkley’s blast down the left field line capped a seven-run comeback in which Wofford (18-17, 2-8) rallied for six runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning to overcome a 12-6 deficit. The Terriers led 6-2 after the first five innings, but Davidson (15-20, 4-9) put together 10 runs in the sixth inning to temporarily go up by six. After the Wildcat rally, Wofford went to the bullpen and called on Adam Kearney to stop the bleeding, and Kearney pitched the final 3 2/3 innings to finish the game and earn his first win of the season.
Davidson got on the board first for a 1-0 lead in the second after scoring on a Wofford throwing error. Left fielder Gregory Zage led off the inning with a single up the middle and moved up a base after designated hitter Rob Wilson reached on a walk. Blake Osborn followed with a sacrifice bunt down the third base line which Terrier pitcher Austin Redwine fielded, but threw over the head of his first baseman to allow Zage to score from second. Redwine kept his cool, however, and struck out the next two batters to strand Wilson on second base.
Wofford catcher Keith Munns ripped a three-run blast to straight-away center field in the next half inning to give his team its first lead of the game. Munns mashed his sixth homer of the season to drive in Brandon Waring and John Brandt for three of his four RBIs in the outing. The junior backstop went 3-for-4 with a homer, double and two runs scored while contributing RBIs with the home run and a game-tying RBI double in the sixth inning.
Davidson would reclaim one of the runs in the top of the third on a solo shot from second baseman Zach Kayne. Kayne drove a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence for the first of his two extra base hits in the game. The sophomore infielder drove in three runs and scored twice in a 2-for-3 performance that also included a two-run double.
A two-out two-run double from Brandt gave Wofford a 5-2 lead entering the fourth inning. With Michael Gilmartin on second and Waring on first, Brandt knocked a line drive over the head of Davidson’s center fielder to drive in both runners for his third multi-RBI outing in Wofford’s last four games. Brandt has driven in eight runs over that span, including two in each of the last two contests.
Gilmartin slapped a base hit through the right side in Wofford’s next series to score Adam Wood from second base and extend the freshman shortstop’s hitting streak to 15 games. Gilmartin’s tear is the longest of the season for any Terrier.
Redwine retired the side in the fifth, but Zage got hold of the senior ace’s second offering in the top of the sixth and sent a solo shot over the right field fence to start a 10-run inning for the Wildcats. A single, walk and a fielder’s choice put men on fist and third for catcher Tommy Piacenza, who roped a double to center field to score one of the runners. Charles Vartanian came in to relieve Redwine following the extra base knock, but Davidson teed off on the senior flame-thrower and scored five runs on three doubles to take the lead. The Terriers dug further into their bullpen in the inning and called on Kearney to escape the jam. The junior catcher/pitcher gave up two runs on another RBI double before ending the inning with a strikeout, the first of his four in the game.
Far from being out of the game, the Wofford bats responded in the bottom half of the sixth and put up seven runs to take a 13-12 lead. Munns, Adam Wood, Emre Caglayan and Gilmartin opened the inning with consecutive base hits to score three runs, and Wofford continued the offensive burst with a two-out rally that added four more. With runners on second and third, Davidson went to its bullpen and called on Bobby DeMuro, but the Terriers made quick work of the junior right-hander and pounded a three-run double to tie the game. DeMuro walked Brandt to load the bases, and junior outfielder Sterling Dye cleared them just as quickly with a three-RBI double to the left-center gap. After a second pitching change that brought Sean Lennox to the mound, Munns followed with another two-bagger to drive in Dye and give Wofford a one-run lead.
A triple by Davidson outfielder Brett Shore and a sacrifice fly by Matt Webb in the seventh tied the game at 13-13. The run would be the last that Kearney would surrender, however, as he retired seven of the next eight batters he faced to complete the game.
With the score tied and the heart of Wofford’s lineup coming up in the eighth, Kirkley needed only one pitch to give Wofford the go-ahead run. Wofford’s all-time Division I home runs leader smashed the first pitch he saw down the left field line, just inside of the foul pole, for his 12th bomb of the season.
With the lead, Kearney struck out two of the last four batters of the game to shut down Davidson and notch his first win of the season. Lennox (1-1) took the loss for the Wildcats after allowing the go-ahead home run to Kirkley in the eighth.
Friday’s victory marks the seventh series opener that Wofford has won this season. The teams will continue the series Saturday afternoon with a 12:15 p.m. first pitch at Russell C. King Field. They will complete the series on Sunday, April 15 at 1 p.m. at the same location.
ELON 15, FURMAN 4
ELON, N.C. ? The Elon Phoenix scored eight first inning runs and cruised to a 15-4 Southern Conference baseball victory over the Furman Paladins behind another strong pitching performance from Steven Hensley and the loud bats of Ryan Addison, Chase Austin and Jordy Snyder. Elon improved its 2007 ledger to 21-15 overall and 10-3 in Southern Conference play while Furman dipped to 9-25, 5-9. Addison and Snyder each tied a career-high with four RBI, while Austin finished with the first four-hit game of his career.
The Phoenix sent 12 hitters to the plate in the top of the first and scored eight runs to jump on top of the Paladins early. Snyder was hit by a pitch and went to second on Adam Weaver’s bunt single that stayed on the line all the way to the third base bag. Robert Rodebaugh plated both runners with a double into the leftfield corner. Runners went to the corners on Chris Vasami’s single through the left side of the infield. Pat Irvine tallied the fourth consecutive Phoenix hit, a blooper into left, which scored Rodebaugh with the third run of the inning. n Addison loaded the bases by bouncing a ball over the head of Furman third baseman Spence Gibbs before Mike Melillo lifted a sacrifice fly to left to drive home Vasami. Austin kept the inning going with a two-out single past a diving Gibbs that scored Irvine to put Elon up by a 5-0 margin. Snyder came up for the second time in the frame and cleared the bases with a three-run blast to left, his first homer of the season.
Melillo lined a two-out single down the leftfield line to score Vasami with Elon’s ninth run of the night in the bottom of the fourth.
Vasami reached via a hit-by-pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth and ended up on third after a passed ball and Irvine single. All three runners rode home on Addison’s three-run liner that cleared the wall in left for the second Phoenix three-run home run of the inning. It was the team-leading seventh homer for Addison this year. After Chris Dove double to the leftfield gap with one out, Austin tripled to the gap in right, plating Dove. Snyder’s sac fly to center scored Austin with Elon’s 14th marker of the night. It was Snyder’s fourth RBI of the game.
Addison drove in his fourth run of the night with a double to the gap in left which scored pinch-hitter Zach Booker who led off the seventh with a single.
Furman loaded the bases with one out in the eighth off of Elon reliever Ryan Basham with singles from Joey Rodgers and Connor Lind and a walk to Paul Ortenzo. Beamer Carr drove in the first Paladin run after Snyder mishandled a ball at short. A walk to Charlie Bailes forced home Lind with run number two before Cole Franklin reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Ortenzo with the third run of the frame.
The Paladins scored one run in the ninth when pinch-hitter Nicholas Karow doubled home Tom Andrews.
Hensley was outstanding on the mound yet again for Elon to improve to 7-1, eclipsing his 2006 win total of six. The sophomore struck out 11 Paladin hitters, the fourth time this season he has fanned at least 11 hitters, over 7.0 innings. Hensley did not allow a run and let only three runners reach base ? a walk and two hits. Basham and Brian Ebert combined to go the final two innings and allowed all four runs on six hits.
Matt Klinker lasted just one inning and fell to 3-4. Elon scored eight runs on seven hits off of Klinker. Marc DeDecker, Barry Benton and Will Feemster threw the other 8.0 innings for the Paladins.
Austin posted a career-high with four hits in five at bats. He also scored twice and drove in two. Addison went 3-for-5 with two runs scored to go with his four RBI. Snyder had just one hit, but scored twice. Irvine finished the evening with three hits in four at bats, scored twice and drove in one. Every Phoenix starter had at least one hit while eight of the nine starters scored a run.
Furman’s Lind had two of the eight Paladin hits while Carr, Franklin, Karow and Bailes all had one RBI.
Elon and Furman will play a doubleheader from Latham Park beginning at noon on Saturday due to the rainy forecast for late Saturday and Sunday. This is a change from the original schedule as the two teams were originally to play at First Horizon Park in Greensboro on Saturday and at Latham Park on Sunday.
WESTERN CAROLINA 5, UNC GREENSBORO 3
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Western Carolina starter Tyler Sexton gave up just one run on six hits in seven innings of work as the Catamounts defeated UNC Greensboro, 5-3, on Friday night in game one of a three-game Southern Conference series at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Sexton (6-0) struck out five batters for the Catamounts in the win. Closer Greg Holland gave up just one run and one hit in two innings of work.
Ryan Falcon (3-6) took the loss after giving up two runs on five hits in 7-1/3 innings on the mound. The senior from Rougemont, NC struck out five batters in the game.
Johnson finished 2-for-3 from behind the plate, while Welsh and Orton each recorded a RBI for the Spartans.
UNCG (17-17-0, 5-5-0 SoCon) grabbed the early 1-0 in the home half of the third. Junior Joel Johnson reached on a single to left field and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tim Carrier. Two batters later, Guy Welsh singled up the middle to bring Johnson home.
Western Carolina (22-11-0, 7-3-0 SoCon) tied up the game in the top of the sixth. Brent Greer hit his first career home run over the right-center wall to tie the game at 1-1. The Catamounts took the lead in the eighth after Barrett Shaft sent a RBI double to center. Jonathan Greene drove in another run in the inning to give WCU the 3-1 advantage.
The Spartans had a chance to put runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth. With bases loaded and one out, the Catamounts were able to close out the inning with an infield fly and a rundown at third. WCU added two insurance runs in the ninth on a RBI triple from Steven Strausbaugh and a Spartan error.
Ricky Orton drove in Brandon Harvey in the ninth on a double down the rightfield line but the Spartans could not get any closer as Holland retired the final two UNCG batters to record his seventh save of the season.
The two teams finish up the three-game series on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 11 am at UNCG Baseball Stadium. Follow the two games with Spartan All-Access and Live Stats.